Here’s the latest roundup of top three top trends and most noteworthy discussions on Chinese social media this week.

The popular Chinese franchise Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice (杨铭宇黄焖鸡米饭) is at the center of attention this week—for all the wrong reasons. The company, which opened its first restaurant in 2011 and has since franchised more than 2500 locations across China, was exposed by Beijing News for reusing expired ingredients and reselling leftover food in at least three of its restaurants in Zhengzhou and Shangqiu (Henan). Cooks were smoking in the kitchen and even going as far as dyeing spoiled, darkened beef with food coloring to make it appear fresh.

The issue has sparked widespread concern on Chinese social media—not only because Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice is a well-known restaurant chain, but also because food safety and kitchen hygiene remain ongoing concerns in China. The timing of this news is particularly significant, as it was published in the lead-up to March 15—China’s National Consumer Rights Day, an annual event that highlights consumer protection issues.

China’s State Council Food Safety Commission Office has now ordered authorities in Henan and Shandong, where Yang’s Braised Chicken is headquartered, to thoroughly investigate the case. The affected stores will reportedly be closed permanently, but the impact extends far beyond these locations—most netizens discussing the scandal have made it clear they won’t be ordering from Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice anytime soon.

Can the company win back consumer trust? Even though general management has been apologizing and pledged to personally oversee kitchen standards, this is not the first time the company is in hot water. In 2024, a customer in Chengdu allegedly ordered Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice via takeout and discovered a fully cooked dead rat in their meal (picture here not for the faint of heart).

While tough language on Taiwan was already trending last week during China’s Two Sessions, another wave of discussions on Taiwan has emerged this week. This follows a high-level national security meeting held on Thursday by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (赖清德), after which he addressed the media and proposed more aggressive strategies to counter Beijing’s so-called ‘united front’ efforts within Taiwan.

On Friday, Beijing responded with stern remarks. Chen Binhua (陈斌华), spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, called Lai Ching-te a “destroyer of cross-strait peace” (“两岸和平破坏者”) and a “creator of crises in the Taiwan Strait” (“台海危机制造者”) who is “pushing Taiwan towards the dangerous situation of war” (“把台湾推向兵凶战危险境”).

Chen also reiterated Beijing’s stance that reunification with Taiwan is inevitable. This message was further amplified on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and Douyin through the hashtag “Inevitable Reunification with the Motherland” (#祖国必然统一#).

Last week, on March 6, a peculiar news item went viral on Chinese social media, and I tweeted out the viral video here. The footage shows a young man standing on a table in a private dining room at a Haidilao restaurant, seemingly urinating into the hotpot. The incident was later confirmed to have taken place at the popular chain’s Bund location in Shanghai on the night of February 24.

Just when you thought the world couldn’t get any crazier… someone stands up and pisses in the Haidilao hotpot. Blasphemy! Hotpot treason!

Anyway, Haidilao reported the guy to the police, and I’m pretty sure he won’t be welcome back anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/3ytLhGdYjX

— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) March 6, 2025

Honestly, the video seemed staged (the “pee” looked more like water), but understandably, Haidilao was very pissed about the negative impact on its reputation. In case you’re not familiar: Haidilao is one of China’s most popular hotpot chains, known for its excellent service and food quality (read here).

The company immediately launched an investigation into the video’s origins and reported the two men—the one urinating and the one filming—to the police.

This week, the incident gained even more traction (even the BBC covered it) after it was revealed that Haidilao had reimbursed 4,109 customers who dined at the restaurant between February 24, when the incident occurred, and March 8, when all tableware was discarded and the entire restaurant was disinfected.

Not only did Haidilao reimburse customers, but they also compensated them tenfold.

This compensation strategy sparked all kinds of discussions on Chinese social media. While many agreed with Haidilao’s solution to prevent a marketing crisis, some customers and netizens raised ethical questions, such as:

💰If you paid for your meal with coupons and only spent a couple of cents in cash, is it fair that some customers only received 9 RMB ($1.25) in compensation?
💰If you paid for an entire group of friends, meaning you originally spent around $140 on a meal but now received $1,400 in reimbursement, should you split the compensation with your friends?
💰How should cases be handled where a third party made the reservation and ends up claiming part of the compensation?

By now, the incident has become about much more than just pissing in soup.

By Manya Koetse

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PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #48

Dear Reader,

“It’s not that I don’t understand, it’s just that the world is changing so quickly,” one Weibo blogger commented this week, after yet another major news development hit the breaking news section.

Chinese social media has been flooded with discussions about the geopolitical shake-ups triggered by the Russia-Ukraine War and Trump’s policy shifts.

From the Oval Office clash to Trump’s ‘pivot’ to Russia, I’ve been monitoring the public sentiment on Chinese social media. You can read how Chinese netizens are interpreting the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape in our latest update here.

At the same time, the Two Sessions (liǎnghuì 两会), China’s largest annual parliamentary meetings, are also taking place. These meetings, which outline policy priorities, economic targets, and development plans for the upcoming year, commenced at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 4 and will continue until March 11.

This includes the annual meeting of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) advisory body and the meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s legislative assembly—often described as a rubber-stamp parliament. This major political event is heavily propagated on Chinese social media, mainly on Weibo and Douyin.

Beyond providing insight into China’s strategic direction, the Two Sessions are also significant because they give delegates from across the country the opportunity to make their voices heard by China’s top leaders. These proposals and “suggestions” (建议)—essentially influential recommendations to government departments—often reflect public concerns and frequently go viral on Chinese social media.

For example, in previous years, a proposal to prohibit single women from freezing their eggs in an attempt to encourage marriage and childbirth sparked heated discussions on Weibo. Last year, another noteworthy proposal suggested that China’s online influencers—whether celebrities or e-commerce stars—should face harsher penalties than the general public for engaging in illegal activities, due to their influence on society.

This year, several new proposals have gained significant online attention. Here are five trending proposals from the past few days:

1. Integrating Sexual Assault Prevention into the School Curriculum

Hashtag: #建议将防性侵教育纳入义务教育课程体系#

🔹 In recent years, sexual assault against minors has become a frequently discussed topic in Chinese media. During this year’s Two Sessions, NPC delegate Fang Yan (方燕) is advocating for stronger protections for minors against sexual violence.

Among her key proposals, Fang suggests that school staff should be specifically screened for prior sexual assault offenses and calls for harsher penalties for those who commit such crimes. She also proposes that sexual assault prevention be integrated into the compulsory education curriculum through lesson plans and textbooks.

In the past, Chinese official media have launched awareness campaigns to help parents teach their children about sexual education and self-protection. However, these campaigns have also sparked online debate, with some arguing that sexual education should not be solely the parents’ responsibility—the education system should play a bigger role in addressing this issue.

2. Ban on Age Discrimination in Employment

Hashtag: 建议将禁止就业年龄歧视纳入法律

🔹 If you’re familiar with Chinese job advertisements, you’ll know how common it is to see age restrictions across different industries. Job listings often include requirements like “must be under 35”—or even physical requirements like “over 170 cm tall.”

This week, NPC delegate Meng Yuan (蒙媛) proposed officially banning age discrimination in hiring, aiming to tackle the “35+ job predicament” (“35岁+ 就业困境”) that many job seekers face. Although age discrimination is not yet officially recognized as employment discrimination in China, it remains widespread. Many companies prioritize younger workers for their lower salaries and perceived trainability, often overlooking the value of experience that older employees bring. In some industries, age discrimination starts as early as 30.

While there is strong online support for such a labor law, many doubt that it will effectively change hiring practices, as job seekers over 35 continue to face widespread discrimination in the Chinese job market.

3. Addressing “Involution” in Chinese Education

Hashtag: #建议破除教育内卷#

🔹 You might remember an image that went viral during flu season, showing Chinese schoolchildren doing homework while hooked up to an IV in a hospital. These images, in many ways, embodied the concept of nèijuǎn (内卷), or “involution”—a term representing the intense academic pressures in China.

The image that went viral during flu season in winter of 2023.

This buzzword has been widely discussed on Chinese social media and reflects China’s highly competitive education system. One well-known cram school slogan summed up the rat race perfectly: “If you come to us, we will train your kids. If you don’t come to us, we will train the competitors of your kids.”

Now, “involution” has officially moved from online discussions to government reports, as the prevention of “involution-style” competition has been included in the Government Work Report. Delegate Yan Meirong (阎美蓉) also advocates for a better learning environment for children. Instead of focusing solely on numerical scores, he suggests introducing a grading evaluation system in classrooms and shifting the emphasis to critical thinking, innovation, practical skills, and emotional awareness.

Similarly, NPC delegate Liu Xiya (刘希娅) proposed shifting away from China’s “top-student selection” model and focusing more on children’s overall well-being, by emphasizing daily exercise and eliminating extra tutoring (#代表说0补课0月考孩子成绩都是A#).

4. The Impact of Short Videos on Children’s Attention Spans

Hashtag: #姚明建议开展未成年人息屏24小时行动#

🔹 Another noteworthy trending proposal comes from NPC delegate Yao Ming (姚明), China’s basketball icon. Yao wants to raise awareness about the impact of short videos on children’s attention spans, arguing that excessive screen time weakens deep-thinking abilities and makes it harder for kids to focus on reading long texts.

To tackle this issue, he proposed a “24-hour screen-free challenge”, endorsed by schools every semester, encouraging children to engage in alternative activities like music, sports, and the arts.

Another delegate, Bai Yansong (白岩松), suggested taking it even further, advocating for one screen-free day per month in all Chinese schools.

Some commenters jokingly suggested that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to implement this for adults, too.

5. Strengthening Governance Over AI Deepfakes and Voice Cloning

Hashtag: #雷军5个建议4个和汽车有关#

🔹 Lei Jun is the founder and CEO of Xiaomi, but made the news as a delegate submitting five proposals this week, which he also published on his public WeChat account.

Four of Lei Jun’s suggestions focus on the development of China’s automotive industry. He proposed creating a standardized system for AI-powered devices, as they play an important role in the future of AI in China. He believes China should lead the world in this industry by 2030, and to get there, stronger industrial collaboration, a clear standards system (since AI-enabled devices are rapidly emerging with different functions and qualities), and increased support from central and local authorities for R&D and everyday applications are needed.

He also proposed accelerating the commercialization of autonomous driving in China, improving the license plate design of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) to better suit changing times (by, for example, adding smart features), and enhancing the overall NEV ecosystem.

But perhaps the proposal most popular with netizens was his call to strengthen governance over AI deepfakes and voice cloning to combat the illegal use of such technologies. Lately, there’ve been more stories involving fraudulent practices and scams that involve such technologies, and Chinese official channels have been trying to create more awareness on the abuse of such technologies.
 
🚀 There’ll be more Two Sessions news on the site soon, as Ruixin Zhang is currently working on an insightful piece about some noteworthy feminist issues related to the meetings.

I’ve sent this newsletter out through a new system integrated into my platform, so if there are any hiccups or you’re experiencing difficulties reading, opening links, etc., please let me know! If you receive this newsletter twice, my apologies in advance. Also, if you’re not receiving this newsletter in your inbox but should be, and are only reading it on the site, drop me a line and I’ll fix it asap.

As always, thanks for your support—every subscriber helps keep What’s on Weibo running. If you enjoy what we do, please recommend us to your friends. And if your colleagues would be interested in staying on top of the latest trends and deep dives into digital China, reach out—I offer discounted group subscriptions 🙌.

Warm greetings,
Manya Koetse
(@manyapan)

China’s Online Discourse on the Russia-Ukraine War

Why are some Weibo commentators calling Zelensky a ‘saint’? How are Trump’s policy shifts on Russia and Ukraine being received by Chinese netizens? And where does Taiwan fit into the bigger picture?

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its third year, Chinese social media is once again flooded with discussions about the geopolitical shifts triggered by Trump’s policies. From the Oval Office clash to Trump’s ‘pivot’ to Russia, this article explores how Chinese netizens are interpreting the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

This article is part of the current focus topic for our What’s on Weibo Chapters: China’s Online Discourse on the Russia-Ukraine War.

A video has been making the rounds around the internet recently suggesting that Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia in the Donetsk region. The source is unknown, but some Chinese bloggers commented on the rumors.

➡️ Just because they speak Chinese doesn’t mean they’re Chinese nationals. There’s skepticism over the handwriting on the wall ( “Li Jingjing was here” “李晶晶到此一游”)—some argue the Chinese characters look poorly written, possibly by non-Chinese (such as Koreans).

➡️ Cosplay theory: Many believe it shows Chinese military fans or vloggers staging content, not real soldiers. There’s a lot of realistic military cosplay content on platforms like Kuaishou and Bilibili.

➡️ And then there are those wondering, “Who is Li Jingjing?!” Plus the Chinese blogger who jokingly pleaded: “Li Jingjing, come home—it’s not worth dying on the Russian battlefield.” Check out more on this below, including link to video:

What’s Trending

🎬 Ne Zha 2 Not in Taiwanese Cinemas

Ne Zha 2 continues to be a major topic of discussion on Chinese social media. Earlier this week, a top hashtag on Weibo (#哪吒2闯进全球前7却闯不进宝岛台湾#) highlighted the fact that Ne Zha 2 is not being released in Taiwanese cinemas. Taiwan enforces a strict quota of 10 mainland films per year, selected randomly by drawing lots—though exceptions are sometimes made. Despite the film becoming one of the highest-grossing animations worldwide, it remains absent from Taiwan’s screens. This has sparked some nationalistic responses, with many netizens suggesting that once Taiwan is “reunited with the motherland,” such quotas on mainland movies will no longer exist. Read more on Ne Zha 2 here.

🕯️ Death of Singer-songwriter Khalil Fong

Over the past week, Chinese netizens have been mourning Mandopop artist Khalil Fong (Fang Datong 方大同), who passed away at just 41. The American-born, Hong Kong–based R&B singer was widely seen as an inspiring figure who made a lasting impact on the mainland market by introducing fresh sounds. He won acclaim for his 2017 Journey to the West album and had only recently released a new album, despite battling illness for the past five years. The hashtag “Fang Datong Passed Away” (#方大同去世#) has garnered over 1.7 billion views on Weibo, where many are expressing their sadness over the loss of yet another young icon — with the death of Barbie Hsu still also being widely discussed.

🔪 Farewell to “Brother Knife”

Another beloved person who recently passed away is Li Kunpeng (李坤朋), better known as “Brother Knife” (菜刀哥) on the Chinese internet. During the devastating floods in Zhengzhou, Henan, in July 2021, Li became a local hero after a bystander’s video went viral showing him climbing onto the hood of a car that was being submerged in floodwaters, attempting to break the windshield with a kitchen knife, and calling on others to help. Thanks to his efforts, a grandfather and two children were successfully rescued from the sinking vehicle. Li, along with seven others, later received an award for their bravery—an act that stood out not only because of the tragic circumstances of the 2021 floods but also in a society where the “bystander effect” is a widely discussed phenomenon. Li passed away on March 3 at the age of just 39, after falling unexpectedly ill.

⭐ Xiaomi’s Lei Jun Shines at Two Sessions

 

🇨🇳 Tough Taiwan Language During Two Sessions

During the Two Sessions this week, Taiwan was a key topic, accompanied by a coordinated online propaganda campaign by Chinese official channels. The hashtag “Taiwan, Province of China” (#中国台湾省#) topped the trending list. CCTV posted an image on Weibo showing “China” in red with the text “Taiwan must return” below, stating: “Forward this! Taiwan Province, China—this is the only correct name for Taiwan! Taiwan has never been a country; it never was and never will be.” People’s Daily shared another version, declaring: “China will eventually achieve reunification; it is destined to be unified.”

The slogan “Taiwan was never a country” (“台湾从来不是一个国家”) has been ubiquitous across Chinese social media this week. It echoes a statement made by Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his March 7 press conference at the Two Sessions, where he stressed that the only official reference to Taiwan within the United Nations is “Taiwan, Province of China.” 📢 In our latest article, we provide more context.

 

What’s Noteworthy

Small news with big impact

We haven’t heard much from the well-known political and social commentator Hu Xijin lately. For those of you who’ve been following What’s on Weibo for a while, you might recall that I have often mentioned Hu Xijin’s perspectives in articles. With over 24 million followers on Weibo alone, the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times is one of those influential voices capable of shaping public opinion or sparking heated debates. He’s typically a daily presence on social media, always in the public eye.

However, since Hu Xijin abruptly went silent on Weibo in the fall of 2024 and stayed off social media for 100 days, his online presence seems to have lost some of its usual momentum.

The Weibo algorithms don’t appear to be boosting his posts as much anymore. He used to frequently dominate the trending hot lists, but I’m not seeing that happen lately.

Perhaps Hu himself sensed that things on Weibo weren’t going his way either, which might explain why he announced this week that he’s launching a new account on Xiaohongshu (also known as Rednote), the Chinese social app focused on lifestyle, fashion, and food—and not particularly on politics.

This shift to Xiaohongshu is funny for multiple reasons. This is the same man who, ahead of Pelosi’s controversial Taiwan visit, suggested it would be okay to shoot down her plane if Chinese fighter jets couldn’t stop it from landing in Taipei. He’s not exactly the kind of person you’d expect to see cheerfully talking about his favorite foods. Yet here he is, chatting about snacks, showing off his workout routine, and sharing his international experiences.

In his first video on the platform, Hu Xijin vowed not to discuss politics, but instead to focus on his everyday life. So far, he’s doing just that—and seems to be smiling a lot more. At the same time, Hu doesn’t seem too concerned—or perhaps just doesn’t care—whether Xiaohongshu’s typical user base (mostly young, educated female consumers) is thrilled about his presence on the platform. After his first video, he received plenty of sarcastic comments and jokes. “Gosh, this scared me,” some wrote, while others asked: “Who let their dog out?”

An image on Xiaohongshu mocking Hu Xijin.

In the end, some wonder whether ‘Old Hu’ is really on the app to share his lifestyle, or if he’s simply looking for an extra stream of monetization now that his career as a political commentator seems more vulnerable. He may be muted when it comes to talking about Beijing’s politics and economy—but when it comes to Beijing dumplings, he won’t be silenced anytime soon.

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